Bama Completes Sweep With 10-4 Win Over UNC Asheville
2/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The Alabama Crimson Tide played another long and grueling game Saturday evening but it was well worth it as the bats came alive for 15 hits and the Tide rolled to a 10-4 victory over the UNC Asheville Bulldogs at "The Joe".
Alabama (5-2) scored two runs in each of the first three innings thanks to some key RBIs by first baseman Zac Welch, catcher Chris Kirkland, and infielder Rocky Scelfo. Welch made a statement after being out the first two games of the series, going 3 for 5 with a run and 2 RBIs. The Bulldogs threatened in the top of the third, scoring 3 runs, but Alabama answered right back in the next three innings.
In the bottom of the fourth, Morrow Thomley scored on an Evan Bush RBI. Bush then reached home plate off of Welch's second RBI of the night. Left fielder Matt Grooms stepped up in the fifth, scoring off of an RBI by Kirkland. Grooms finished 3 for 4 with 3 runs and an RBI.
David Robertson (2-0), the first player to play collegiate baseball from Tuscaloosa's Paul W. Bryant High School, picked up his second win of the season in his third appearance for Alabama. Robertson pitched 4 innings giving up 2 hits and striking out 4. Josh Copeland finished it off for Bama, throwing 1.1 innings and striking out 2.
"We swung the bats better in the second game," said Alabama Head Coach Jim Wells, "and we also showed more of a consistent offense for the first time."
Wells also explained why Morrow Thomley stood out this weekend. Thomley was 5 for 10 in the double header Saturday, and was 7 for 14 in the series. His batting average so far this season is .417. "Thomley is continuing to do well," said Wells, "he certainly sticks out as a guy in the few games that we've had that has been pretty consistent, even though he didn't have five good at bats, he has put together better ones than anybody else right now."
With the sweep, Alabama improves to 5-2 on the year. Bama has won all 31 non-conference, three-game, home series under Coach Wells. The Tide has swept 18 of those series. Alabama returns to action Wednesday night as they take on the UAB Blazers from Jerry D. Young Memorial Field in Birmingham at 6 pm. The Tide returns home for a weekend series against the Duquesne Dukes on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 pm.
GAME NOTES:
*Alabama swept a doubleheader with UNC Asheville, winning 6-0 and 10-4. The Crimson Tide won the first game of the doubleheader 6-0. The shutout was Alabama's first of the season and first since blanking No. 10 Florida 2-0 on May 7, 2004 here at the Joe.
*The win in game two gave Alabama 31 consecutive home series wins against non-conference opponents in the Jim Wells era. By winning the final game of the series, Alabama has recorded 18 sweeps in those 31 three-game series.
*After losing two of its first three games of the season, Alabama has now won four consecutive games and owns a 5-2 record after seven games this season. The Crimson Tide was 5-2 after seven games last season.
*The Crimson Tide pitching staff did allowed only one earned run in the three-game series with Asheville. The UA staff worked 27 innings and allowed 20 hits, six runs, one earned run, with four walks and 39 strikeouts.
*Bama pitchers recorded 28 strikeouts and no walks in the first two games of the UNC Asheville series. Senior LHP Brent Carter (12) and junior RHP Jordan Davis (1) combined for 13 in the opener, while Large and junior RHP Matt Downs (4) combined for 15 in game two of the series.
*Overall, Alabama recorded 39 strikeouts in the series as sophomore LHP Brandon Belcher (5), and freshman RHP David Robertson (4) and freshman RHP Josh Copeland (2) added 11 in the nightcap on Saturday.
*Senior outfielder Morrow Thomley went 5-for-10 in the doubleheader with two runs scored, two RBI and two stolen bases. He had a career high three hits in the first game and added two more hits in the nightcap. Thomley has also hit safely in all six games in which he has played this season for Alabama.
*Junior third baseman Evan Bush was 3-for-7 in the doubleheader with one RBI. He had two hits and one RBI in game one and added one base hit in the nightcap. Bush has also hit safely in six straight games for the Crimson Tide this season.
*Sophomore centerfielder Emeel Salem was 4-for-9 in the doubleheader. He matched his career high with three hits in the opener. Salem reached base four times in the game, with three hits and one walk. Dating back to Friday's series opener, Salem reached base six straight times, including four hits and two walks.
*Junior catcher Charlie Lyons made his 2005 debut as the starting catcher in game one of the doubleheader. Lyons went 2-for-4 and scored one run in the win. He also had 13 putouts and three assists (threw out three base stealers) in the game.
*Junior right-hander T.J. Large (7 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 K) recorded 11 strikeouts in the win over UNC Asheville in game one. Alabama has recorded double digit strikeouts in six of its first seven games this season.
*UA freshman catcher Chris Kirkland recorded his first career RBI with a groundout in the second inning. He added a sacrfice fly in the fifth inning.
*Freshman shortstop Cale Iorg had four hits and two RBI in the doubleheader.
*UNC Asheville had three sacrifice bunts in the second inning of the nightcap. Alabama also made two errors on those bunt attempts which led to three unearned runs.
*UNCA (4) and Alabama (3) combined for seven errors in game two.
*The Alabama bullpen threw 8 1/3 scoreless innings in the three-game series with UNCA.
*Junior catcher David Ferazza hit the first home run of the season for Alabama in the eighth inning of the series finale. Ferazza's solo home run was the first of the season by Alabama and came on the team's 232nd at-bat of the year.
